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Preventive diplomacy, by its very nature, often does not result in loud headlines for the practitioner.
During his nearly six years as the UN special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nikolai Mladenov has worked quietly and out of the limelight to prevent an escalation in the Gaza Strip, preserve opportunities for a two-state solution to the conflict and gather support for normalization. of relations between Israel and Arab countries as a much more preferred alternative to Israeli annexation of land in the West Bank, writes the New York Times.
But Mladenov has achieved at least spectacular success: he has earned the respect of all those he has worked with, many of whom see themselves as enemies, the newspaper said in an article published in today’s online edition.
“A very honest mediator,” said Rami Hamdala, a former Palestinian prime minister.
“I personally trusted him,” said Moshe Kahlon, a former Israeli finance minister.
“An honorable man,” said Jason Greenblatt, a former special envoy for the Middle East in the administration of President Donald Trump.
“We are proud to know him,” said Khalil al-Haya, Hamas’s deputy chief in Gaza.
Mladenov, 48, whose last day of work as a special envoy ended Thursday, returns to his native Bulgaria after suddenly refusing to be appointed to another high-ranking post in Libya to combat what he said was a serious health problem. . problem, notes the New York Times.
The newspaper recalls that in 2016 Nikolay Mladenov encouraged the main mediators of the negotiation process in the Middle East, the US, Russia, the EU and the UN to draw up a report with concrete steps, which would at least preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.
Acting in the absence of negotiations was contrary to the then prevailing diplomatic doctrine that the most important thing was to resume negotiations.
“I don’t think that’s the case. You may have the best deal in the world,” but while the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza disagree, “you can hardly do it,” Mladenov said.
Since then, his approach has gained wide recognition.
In Gaza, a territory constantly on the brink of a new war, Mladenov made it his mission to prevent it, the New York Times reported, recalling the Bulgarian diplomat’s mediation efforts to defuse tensions.
Mladenov was one of the first high-ranking officials to conclude that nothing could stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from fulfilling his promises to annex the West Bank, but that he could be persuaded to abandon annexation in the name of what is more. importantly, the normalization of relations with the Arab countries, which have long rejected the Jewish state.
Mladenov did not take credit for Israel’s agreements to normalize relations with Arab states, but he is working to promote the idea of using normalization of relations as a reward for Israel for abandoning annexation plans.
The Palestinians perceive the agreements between the Jewish state and the Arab countries as treason, but Mladenov points out that in the long run these agreements will also benefit them, notes the newspaper quoted by BTA.
“Now there is an agreement. This is the important thing. Neither Israel nor the Arab countries will want to fail. This creates levers of influence for some countries of Israel,” said the diplomat.
Mladenov was not a fan of Trump’s peace plan, but said the ongoing changes create exciting opportunities for his successor as UN envoy Thor Venezuela of Norway.
“This is a different world. And despite all its shortcomings, it may actually be a better world,” Mladenov said.
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